Caitlin Shaughnessy Dwyer 2002

Caitlin Shaughnessy Dwyer is a wife and mother of five and the current Chair of Theology at Thomas More University in Crestview Hills, KY.  She brings a deep commitment to the Catholic faith, extensive experience with Catholic education, and a passion for mission integration to bear as a member of the board.  For more than a decade, Caitlin has taught classes in the Catholic theological tradition such as Catholic Social Teaching, Theology of Woman, Understanding the Human Person: Christian Anthropology and Morality, and Beauty and Technology in Education.  In her capacity as chair, she has overseen curriculum development, program review and assessment, faculty evaluations, recruiting, and marketing for the department.  She has also served as co-chair for the Catholic Identity Committee, the Administrative Council Pregnancy and Parenting Taskforce, and the Center for Faith, Mission, and Catholic Education Steering Committee and a member of the Core Curriculum Committee, Core Curriculum Redesign Committee, First Year Experience Redesign Committee, the Board of Trustees Strategy and Long-Range Planning Committee, and a faculty representative on the Wm. T. Robinson III Institute for Religious Liberty Executive Committee.

Caitlin’s writing has appeared inThe Messenger and national publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Catholic World Report, and Humanum.  Other writing and editing projects include work for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Ruah Woods’ Theology of the Body Curriculum.  She has given many talks on theological topics at colleges including the University of Notre Dame, Ave Maria University, and the University of Cincinnati, and various local high schools, elementary schools and parishes.

Caitlin graduated summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame where she earned the Gertrude Austin Marti Award in theology.  She obtained her Masters in Theological Studies with a concentration in biotechnology and ethics from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at the Catholic University of America.

A long-time parishioner of St. Pius X, Caitlin is committed to expressing her faith through service.  She teaches OCIA classes, Vacation Bible School lessons, and Theology of the Body units in the parish school.  She also participates in the pro-life, decorating, and bereavement committees.  She partners with the New Hope Center, Mary Rose Mission, and St. Vincent de Paul through her work at Thomas More.

As one of four sisters who graduated from NDA, with two daughters currently attending, Caitlin is deeply committed to the Catholic mission of her alma mater.